Troy Cline is the Science and Educational Technology Specialist of NASA?s Sun-Earth Connection Education Forum team. Before coming to NASA, Troy was a high school mathematics teacher and Educational Technology Coordinator at an alternative high school in Virginia, working with ?at-risk? students. During that time he also completed a Master?s degree in Educational Technology and Leadership at The George Washington University in Washington D.C. His undergraduate was in education with a strong focus on science and mathematics. Prior to working in Virginia, his teaching career took him to some exceptional places beginning with his first teaching experience on the Navajo Indian Reservation in Kinlichee, AZ. While there he taught in a Bureau of Indian Affairs boarding school for three years. He later joined the United States Peace Corps and served in Chad, Africa, as an Algebra and Geometry teacher. That experience involved living in a mud hut and teaching over three hundred Chadian students in a classroom made of elephant grass. At that time, the Chadian government was attempting to create a stabilized educational system so that as the country became more developed, an effective structure would already be in place.

Here are Troy's answers to our questions:

1. When did you become interested in your area of work?

1993

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2. Why did you become interested in your area of work? Did a teacher, parent, or other adult inspire you?

I have always been interested in space science and science fiction. My favorite types of TV shows as a child were Star Trek, Space 1999, etc. Actually, Star Trek is still one of my favorites.

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3. How long have you been doing your job?

I was an elementary teacher for 4 years and a high school teacher for 7 years. I have been an Educational Technology Coordinator with NASA for the past 3 years.

5. What did you have to study to get into this career and for how long?

In 1989 I received a B.S. in Education( K-8), Minor: Mathematics, Specialization (5-8). In 1999 I received a Masters. in Educational Technology and Leadership, from The George Washington University, Washington D.C.

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6. Do you continue to update your education through classes, conferences, etc.?

Absolutely.

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7. Is your career just like you thought it would be? Is it fun?

My teaching career was very fulfilling and a lot of hard work. I spent most of my teaching time in grades 4 through 12. My career at NASA has been more fun than I hoped it would be. With this job I am able to travel, work with multimedia and conduct teacher-training workshops!

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8. What?s the worst part of your job?

I have way too many meetings to attend but I suppose that?s the reality of having a project oriented vocation.

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9. What?s the best part of your job?

Travel and website design!

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10. What is the one best memory you have during your career?

Apart from the many incredible experiences I?ve had with NASA, such as seeing the Odyssey spacecraft launch, my fondest teaching memories are from my experiences on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona.

13. What is your message to a person considering a career in science, math, or technology?

Consider every day of your life as part of the training it will take to reach your goals! If you want to live on the cutting edge, careers in science math and technology can get you there.

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Story Source: Maryland Science Center

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Chad; Science; Space

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